I have some experience with via ferrata: http://www.summitpost.org/tour-d-a/212075, Champery al up to class D and hiked this 'mountain' http://www.summitpost.org/dent-du-jaman/151615. But now i want to take it op a notch. So I am looking for spectacular (possibly 3000+) peaks in Switzerland, They should be hikable and scramble able, YDS class 1 en 2 for starting and later on class 3 maybe 4, and no dangerous glacier. goal is to get better in 'climbing' and eventually climb more, higher and more exposure beneath my feet because that is what makes my blood flow! so starting with some easier stuff and ending with some heavier peaks.

I am based in Lausanne so the valais en Bernese mountains and maybe the Charmonix region are preffered. And preferably 1 day hikes from lausanne, but a stay in a hut with shower and food is also fine for longer hikes.

If you can make it up into NE Switzerland, there are some very nice scrambling peaks in the Alpstein and Rätikon. None are over 3000 meters, so glaciers won't be an issue. Of course, this is just a tiny drop on the peaks available in CH.

pandoraparadox wrote:http://www.summitpost.org/barrhorn/429662 this one looks great but is it reachable without equipment looks really snowy So if i am correct the turtmann route is easy F (facile) and the topali route has a via ferrata and is just a little bit harder PD- (peu difficile -)

Last year I went up the Topali side and descended to the Turtmann hut on 20 July. It was a fine day, with fantastic scenery.

Calling the ladder on the Topali side a Via Ferrata is rather generous. Sure, there is a bit of steel and it's very exposed, but it's also quite short. Falling is not an option, but there is plenty to hold on to. Perhaps it's already classified, I don't know, but if I would have to give it a Via Ferrata rating, it would be an A. In addition, I wouldn't rate the Topali route PD- either but F. If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can bring Via Ferrata gear, but judging by the way you've described yourself, you can do it without. Apart from the ladder, the route from the Turtmann side is never steep; in fact, the rest of the Topali route is just a hike. At the bottom of the ladder is a pretty harmless remnant of a glacier. The warden at the Topali hut assured me I didn't need any gear to walk across it, and so I did. At the time there was a little bit of snow on it.

Whether there is snow higher up depends primarily on the time of year. When I was there, it was almost gone. Mostly the trail was bare, but I did encounter a couple of small and harmless snow fields. The Turtmann side is not very steep, so even with more snow, as long as it's not icy or the snow is really hard, you can stop a fall even without an axe. Again, no special gear needed.

You don't really need a car in Switzerland, the post auto buses and trains run everywhere. The http://www.sac-cas.ch/en.html website has all the info about approaches and huts, once you find a location, and if you are moving around a lot i would recommend getting a discount pass from sbb for a period of time. It can add up! As someone from Eastern Canada, Switzerland is pretty awesome

And i would totally recommend the Alpstein area as well! Sleep in a farmers barn for 15 francs and get breakfast fresh from the cow , its chilly this time of year but awesome

jdenyes wrote:You don't really need a car in Switzerland, the post auto buses and trains run everywhere. The http://www.sac-cas.ch/en.html website has all the info about approaches and huts, once you find a location, and if you are moving around a lot i would recommend getting a discount pass from sbb for a period of time. It can add up!

I've been to Switzerland a few times, mostly using public transport. I agree that you can get almost anywhere easily, but I find it very expensive compared to other European countries that I've visited. I plan to go to Switzerland again soon, by public transport. After getting there, I won't be on the train and bus very often though: I'll travel to an area, spend a while exploring the mountains, and then I move on. Consequently I don't expect that buying a discount pass makes much sense. I'm afraid I'll just have to pay full price.